Tucked away in the Memorial Hall of Sheffield City Hall, our city’s comedy fans were treated to an evening of laughs, courtesy of “TV’s Angela Barnes” (if you know, you know!). With this event being my first venture into live comedy, I was excited to see just what all the fuss was about!
Angela Barnes – Hot Mess is a comedy set by Angela Barnes about how things have changed since lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic. Focusing on the highs, lows and everything that has changed, her show touched on a range of topics that are still fresh in everyone’s minds. The first section was performed by her support act Michael Fabbri, who spoke about his experiences with his girlfriend, being on holiday and life with his young family. Following a brief interval, it was time for Angela Barnes to take the stage, as she spoke about the strange hobbies we all acquired during lockdown, weddings, Partygate and politics, as well as her late support act and friend Phil Jerrod, to whom the show was dedicated to.
Both comedians gave good performances, with each of them getting plenty of laughs (and in some cases, tears) from me throughout the show. They both took some time to warm up at the start of their sets, but quickly got into the flow of the comedy, which was great fun. The atmosphere in the Memorial Hall was jovial, but it also felt strangely communal. With a lot of subject matter focused on lockdown and loss, many people in the room could relate on a very personal level to what was being said, which gave the show a very unique feel to it. There were occasions when this made the comedy show significantly lacking in funny moments however.
Angela Barnes – Hot Mess was a personal comedy show, and a lovely way for me to start my experience of live comedy in Sheffield. Both comedians gave good performances, and I’d be glad to see both Michael Fabbri and Angela Barnes again in the future.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Angela Barnes – Hot Mess is touring the U.K. until December 7th
